Becoming Family
by PacNWatheart
Summary: An unexpected encounter in the woods dramatically shifts Tony and Tim's relationship. How will they and the team manage? NOT slash.
1. Chapter 1

Hello and thanks for giving this story a shot. It is not a cross over but there is a cameo from the Supernatural Bros. and some minor supernatural goings on. But that only lasts for a chapter or so, so please don't let that scare you off. This is mostly a family type story with team bonding and some action later in the story. I'd like to thank reluctantslashfan for being my beta.

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, Supernatural or anything else really.

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Chapter 1

"Why did I let you talk me into this?" Tony asked McGee as he hiked along behind his partner. It was a beautiful summer afternoon in Prince William National Park.

"Because you said you wanted to learn tracking. Come on Tony, it's a nice day. Try and enjoy being outdoors," McGee replied over his shoulder.

Oh yeah, Tony forgot he'd asked McGee about the tracking. Maybe Abby was right, maybe his memory really was going; must be all those head slaps. With a silent snort, he turned to Tim and said, "Do you know what I was going to do today before you showed up McGee? I was going to spend a day on the beach, enjoying the view."

DiNozzo really had every intention of spending a day at the beach when McGee had shown up at his door, backpack over one shoulder, asking Tony if he wanted to go out for a hike.

"You could have said no Tony." McGee suddenly stopped and turned, looking at Tony. "Why did you agree to come then?"

Tony would never admit it, but he'd been secretly impressed by the tracking ability Tim had displayed during their various investigations. Also, something else he'd never admit to, he kind of liked spending time with his partner. They had developed a pretty close friendship over the past few years, and Tony liked hanging out with the man he thought of as his little brother. So, DiNozzo had ditched the beach plans and headed out with McGee.

"Had to make sure you were safe traipsing through the woods," Tony lied flawlessly, a relaxed smile on his face. "What kind of partner would I be if I let you get lost out here, all on your own?"

"Are you forgetting who the Boy Scout was, Tony?"

Ignoring McGee's response, Tony continued, "And now you owe me, partner. So be prepared to pay back this favor at any time of my choosing."

"What favor?"

"The enjoyment of my company, and the privilege of me watching your back," Tony responded grinning.

McGee glared at Tony then shook his head and continued his trek through the woods. "I see a deer trail up ahead. It's a bit easier to follow so it'll make a good start for your lesson."

Tony listened closely as Tim proceeded to tell him about the various methods of tracking a larger animal traveling through a wooded forest.

"Think you've got it?" he asked Tony when he wrapped up his explanation.

"Yeah, sure. No problem." Tony was surprised at how good of a teacher McGee was. He'd been able to relate some of the key points of tracking in a way Tony would remember. McGee had even thrown a movie reference in. His partner was learning!

"Why don't you see how far you can follow this trail then? Come on, lead the way." McGee stepped aside and let Tony take the lead.

Tony used the tips McGee had taught him and actually managed to follow the trail for a good ways before he lost it. McGee came up next to him and clapped him on the back.

"Not bad Tony. I –" McGee was interrupted as they heard the sounds of someone or something crashing through the woods near them. Suddenly a woman appeared, running right into McGee, nearly knocking him down.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" McGee asked as the woman righted herself while holding onto him.

"Do you need help?" Tony asked. The woman didn't seem to have heard him as she looked frantically behind her. Tony could hear more crashing sounds. Whatever the woman had been running from was quickly approaching. Tony reached for his gun. Thank God he'd gotten into the habit of carrying it with him at all times.

The next few moments happened so fast, Tony wasn't sure of exactly what he saw. Just as two men came crashing through the woods, the woman put both hand on either side of McGee's head and threw her head back, her eyes rolling back into her head. As McGee cried out in pain, the woods filled with shouting.

"Federal Agents, stop right there!"

"Get away from her! She's dangerous."

"Shit Sam, she's starting. Stop her!"

Tony had no idea what was going on. He held his gun on the two men, but was worried about what was happening to McGee. He appeared to be on his knees, the woman's hands still on his head, her head still thrown back, a moan escaping her mouth. As Tony watched, the taller of the two men stepped towards the woman and threw some sort of powder on her. She screamed and let go of McGee.

The woman turned suddenly, holding out both hands in front of her, aiming them at the two men. Both men quickly ducked and rolled out of the way as, what looked like, lightening erupted from her outstretched fingers. Tony's eyes widened as he shifted his gun back and forth between the men and the woman. What the hell was going on?! The lightening emerging from the woman's hands had momentarily rendered him speechless.

After a moment the lightening stopped. He watched as the taller man charged the woman and tackled her to the ground. The woman was spitting curses, her eyes rolling madly in her head. The tall man held her down as the other man approached and began chanting in another language. Great, that's all Tony needed to make this experience even more odd: crazy occultists.

Tony kept his gun on the group of people before him, but began slowly making his way towards where McGee had gone down. He needed to check his partner, make sure he was okay. After the woman had let go, he thought he'd seen McGee fall back behind a bush.

Just as he found where he'd last seen Tim, the man stopped chanting and the woman beneath the other man disappeared, a loud clap like thunder resounding through the woods. For a second, it seemed as if a strong wind blew past him, but it passed as quickly as it had come.

"Well that was fun," said the man who had been chanting. "Who knew a crazy witch woman could be so damn squirrely?"

"You weren't the one who had to tackle her." The other man complained as he climbed up off the ground.

"No, I just had to collect the blood of a skunk for the damn neutralizing powder. A skunk, Sammy! Who the hell decided to use skunk blood in the ritual to release a witch's energy? Don't complain to me about tackling a hundred pound woman!"

"Hello, I have a gun. Did you miss the part where I'm a Federal Agent? Are you two going to tell me what the hell is going on, or do I have to shoot you?" Tony snarled, sarcasm dripping from each word. The two men seemed to have forgotten he was standing there, holding a gun on them.

In the silence that descended on the group, the sound of a quiet sniff could be heard behind Tony. He turned his head to check on his partner and froze at the sight that greeted him.

A small boy stood in a pile of clothing, McGee's backpack resting nearby. The boy was wearing a t-shirt that hung off one shoulder, the bottom of the shirt pooling around his feet. A t-shirt, Tony thought, that looked exactly like the one McGee had been wearing when they left that morning. The boy looked up at him and Tony gasped. Bright green eyes looked at him from beneath a mop of sandy brown hair.

Tony just stared at the boy. Was he really seeing what he thought he was seeing? Where was his partner? And where had the little boy come from? Seeing the hair and the eyes, the logical part of his brain was telling him something unbelievable. That the boy was his partner - but that was impossible!

"Wow, did not see that coming." Tony thought it was the shorter man that spoke.

Tony tore his eyes from the little boy and turned back to the men, his grip tightening on the gun. "Okay, you two better start talking soon or I will shoot you."

The two men exchanged a look. The shorter one sighed. "Why don't you put the gun down, get the kid and we'll talk?"

"I'm in the woods with two men who somehow made a woman disappear in front of me and a kid that looks suspiciously like my partner. I'm keeping my gun out. You two," he gestured to the two men with his gun, "had better start talking; fast." Tony was getting angry. He needed answers now.

The taller man looked past him. "Umm…You might need to put the gun away. Your, uh, _partner_ is running away."

Tony looked behind him and swore under his breath. The little boy was running. "Stay here!" he shouted at the two men as he put his gun back in its holster and ran after the kid. The kid was surprisingly fast for wearing only a shirt, but eventually his little uncoordinated body tripped, and the boy went sprawling on the ground. The boy was just pushing himself up when Tony caught up to him. DiNozzo could hear him crying. He quickly knelt and picked the boy up, turning him around to face him.

"Hey there buddy. You okay." Tony had always had a protective instinct towards his team mates, but now that instinct came on strong as the little boy stood, crying in front of him, a bloody scratch on his chin and wide green eyes staring at him. Tony pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wiped at the boy's face.

"W-who a-are y-you?" The boy hiccuped as he tried to speak through his tears. Tony's heart clenched. The boy was heartbreaking - fear radiated off of him. The part that Tony struggled with was that he was pretty sure this was his partner. He didn't know how or why, but looking into those eyes, Tony knew this was the kid version of Timothy McGee.

"My name's Tony. I won't hurt you. I'm a friend. What's your name?" Tony wanted to hear confirmation of his suspicion from the little boy.

The kid scrunched up his nose as his eyes squinted. He could see the boy's eyes darting back and forth as the kid thought. Tony worried about why the kid was struggling with such a simple question.

"I-I d-don't k-know. W-what's m-my n-name?" Yeah, that wasn't good.

"I'm pretty sure your name is Tim. Tim's a good name. I've got a friend name Tim," Tony said, his smile a little less genuine as he stomped down hard on the panic trying to surface. Tony was in the middle of the woods with two crazy occultists, a kid version of his partner and no clue as to what was going on. Now was definitely not the time to lose his cool.

The kid scrunched up his face as he thought again. He seemed to do that when he was thinking hard. The expression reminded him so much of the adult McGee it sent conflicting emotions coursing through Tony. His urge to comfort and protect the kid where at odds with frustration and the now subdued, but still present panic. This was McGee standing in front of him. He shouldn't be a child!

"Okay. I-I c-can b-be a T-T-Tim like y-your f-friend," the boy said quietly. The kid was really wreaking havoc on Tony's emotional state.

"Can you come with me Tim? I need to go talk to someone then we can get out of here. Maybe get you some clothes. How does that sound?"

"A-are y-you m-my d-daddy?" Tim asked. Tony was shocked into silence. He didn't know why but the kid's honest question had thrown him for a loop, his chest tightening for a moment.

"No, Tim. I'm not your dad. But I'm going to look out for you until we figure out what's going on. Is that okay?" Tony answered quietly.

"Y-yeah." The little boy held his arms up to Tony in the classic sign to be picked up. Tony hesitated a second, then picked the boy up. Skinny arms snaked around Tony's neck as he stood. The weight in his arms was odd, but not uncomfortable. He didn't think he'd ever held a kid like this before. Tony shifted Tim to his left side, so the kid wasn't pressed up against his gun, and began walking.

"I'm scared," the little boy whispered.

"Hey, don't be scared. It'll be all right. Let's go see if we can figure out what's going on."

"Is s-something w-wrong?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, you could say that Tim." As Tony carried the boy back to where he'd left the two men, he tried to wrap his mind around everything that had happened in the last few minutes. He couldn't believe he was thinking this, but he was pretty sure that somehow his partner had been turned into a small boy. And had that woman been shooting lightening out of her hands? Just what the hell was going on? Had he ended up in the twilight zone?

Tony was a bit surprised to actually find the two men where he'd left them. He thought they'd be long gone by the time he returned with the kid.

"Hi," the short one said with a cocky smile. "Bet you didn't expect to see us."

"Not exactly. But since you're here, mind telling me what the hell is going on?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm Dean. This is Sam. The crazy bitch was – " Dean stopped when he heard Tim whimper in Tony's arms.

"Hey! Don't swear in front of the kid!" Tony snapped. Tony watched as the tall one, Sam, glared at Dean. He knew that look. He'd seen it from McGee just a little bit ago. It was a classic "you're being stupid" glare. He unconsciously tightened his hold on the small boy he was holding.

"Oh, yeah. Uh, sorry." Dean cleared his throat. "Anyway, the woman was a witch. She was performing some crazy mojo in the area, killed a few people. We heard about it and came to stop her." Dean gave Tony a sardonic smile, clearly not expecting Tony to believe him.

"Why didn't you go to the police?"

"What are we going to tell them? 'There's a witch woman in the area killing off people. Go arrest her. Oh, but don't touch her or she'll kill you. Sorry there are no bodies, they tend to disappear when she's drained their life away.' Yeah, I'm sure that'd go over well."

"Okay." It was taking everything Tony had not to just run away screaming from the men. What they were saying was absolutely nuts. But still, he couldn't deny what he'd seen with his own eyes. "What happened to her body? It disappeared."

"Yeah, she was so old she was pretty much just being sustained by the energy she was draining. The spell we cast released all the energy at once, destroying her," Sam explained hurriedly, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Poof!" Dean illustrated with his hands, earning him another glare from Sam. He shrugged as if to say 'what?'

"If I wasn't holding the mini version of my partner, I'd think you were crazy. Actually, I still kind of do, but since McGee is now a tiny tot, I guess I have to listen to what you're saying." He glanced at Tim and demanded, "Why is my partner a kid?"

The two men exchanged another look. This time Sam spoke up, scratching the back of his head, "Uh, we're not really sure. We've seen her do that before, touching a person and draining them. Believe it or not, that woman was over 200 years old. Like we said, she drained people of their life, using their energy for her own power, to stay young and to cast spells. The victims literally faded away to nothing. But she's never been stopped in the middle of draining someone before."

"We think she might have drained his life, but not all the way. So…we think he's kind of been reset to an age that would equal how much life he had left in him when she was stopped." Dean studied Tim for a minute. "I'd guess he only had a few years left in him when she was stopped."

Tony stared at them in disbelief. He didn't want to believe them. How could he? They were talking about witches and magic, impossible things! But the little boy shifting in his arms shattered any denial he could think of. How else could he explain McGee's disappearance since that woman had touched him? Plus, there was now a floppy haired, green eyed little boy clinging to him that could easily pass as McGee's son. He was way past denial and heading straight for crazy town.

"Okay. I guess that makes sense. You know, in a completely demented, Harry Potter sort of way. So, can you fix him? Make him himself again?"

The men exchanged yet another look. It was interesting being on the outside, watching the silent conversations. Now he knew how people around him and Gibbs felt.

"Well, the witch is gone. Like we said, she was really old. The stuff she was practicing was ancient. We'd have to look into it, but…ah, we don't think anyone else has done that kind of magic. We've never seen it before."

"Oh, and I suppose you see this stuff often?"

"You'd be surprised." Dean replied evasively, grinning, waggling his eyebrows Sam's way. The taller man rolled his eyes but didn't respond.

Tony looked at the little boy he was holding in his arms. The boy had rested his head on his shoulder as he watched the men talk, his arms still around Tony's neck. When DiNozzo looked at him, big green eyes met his. "So you don't think anything can be done for him?" Tony asked. His heart started to race. What was going to happen if they couldn't change Tim back?

The man's smile slipped off his face. "No. We don't think so. Sorry."


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to everyone who has left a review, favorited or is following this story. You've made my day! I plan on updating this story weekly. I have about half of it written and hope to finish the rest on schedule but I'll let you all know if there are any delays. Enjoy and please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, Supernatural or anything else really.

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Chapter 2

"Why doesn't he remember anything?" Tony asked the two strangers.

"What?" Dean asked furrowing his eyebrows.

"He didn't remember his name, and he thought I was his dad."

"Uhh…" Both men shared a perplexed look, and Tony was certain the Dean guy shrugged uncertainly.

"Oh come on. You two seem to be _so_ knowledgeable about all things crazy. I'm sure you can explain his memory loss," Tony snapped sarcastically.

"Well…if I had to say…I guess, maybe the shock of what happened to him kind of scrambled his brains and messed with his memory. But that's really just a guess. We have no idea," Sam answered quickly. Tony had a feeling he would have gone on, but Dean elbowed him, effectively cutting him off.

"You had better hope it didn't scramble his brains too much. He was a genius before you brought this upon us. If anything happens to him because of this I will track you down and kill you."

"We brought…? Hold on a minute, we didn't do this to him. We saved his life! He'd be dead now if it weren't for us," Dean shouted, his glare reminding Tony of Gibbs.

"He's a kid! He was a thirty-one year old, and he's a kid now! If you hadn't come along he'd still be himself!" Tony screamed, taking a step towards Dean. Tim whimpered again and tightened his hold on Tony's neck. Tony unconsciously patted Tim on the back, comforting him.

"Like that's our fault! Blame the damn witch. Hell, blame yourselves! If you hadn't been in the woods today he'd still be normal. But don't blame us, we didn't do anything wrong." Dean and Tony were glaring hard at each other.

Sam stepped between the two men. "Okay, why don't you both just calm down. This isn't anybody's fault. We're sorry you and your partner got caught up in this –"

"No I'm not," Dean muttered, stubbornly crossing his arms, earning a glare from Sam and Tony.

"-but there's nothing we can do about it. Blaming us won't help your partner."

Tony continued to glare at the shorter man, but he did try to calm himself. He had to keep his cool, for Tim. The boy had his arms tight around Tony and had buried his head in his neck.

"Look, if you give us your contact information, I promise we'll look into this. See if there is anything that can be done." This time Dean glared at Sam, but thankfully the shorter man kept his mouth shut.

"Contact information! Oh no. You two are coming with me."

"Sorry dude, we don't do cops unless it's on our terms," Dean shot back, uncrossing his arms.

"Do I have to spell it out for you? I. Am. A. Federal Agent. You're going to come with me to my office, and we're going to talk about this some more." Tony carefully set Tim down, never taking his eyes off the two men in front of him. He had a feeling this was not going to end well.

"Yeah, sure. Give us the address, we'll meet you there."

"Funny," Tony stated, deadpan. "I still have a gun, remember? Don't mess with me."

"We outnumber you two to one and a half. You can't keep us both in line while watching the kid." Tony decided he really didn't like this Dean guy.

"Well you're not leaving." Tony put his hand on his gun.

The two men exchanged another look. Sam turned back to him. "I really am sorry this happened to you and your partner."

"Sorry doesn't –" Tony began but was interrupted when Dean ran at him and tackled him to the ground. Tony heard Tim scream and then an exclamation from the man on top of him. Was Tim attacking Dean? Tony felt dazed from the punch Dean threw at his jaw, yet he continued to struggle with the man, earning another punch.

"Come on Dean!" Sam yelled. Tony heard another cry from Tim.

Suddenly the weight on top of him was gone and he heard two sets of feet running away. Tony lay dazed for a moment before struggling to sit up. He looked around to see the two men were gone, with no clue which direction they had run. Tim ran over and threw himself against Tony, crying hard.

Crap. Tony wanted to go after the men but Dean had been right. He had a little boy to watch out for now. Tony brought his arms around Tim and hugged the little boy. He had to focus his attention on keeping the boy safe now.

"It's okay Tim, it's okay." He worked to calm the boy down as he shook off the last of the daze from being hit. Once the boy had stopped crying, Tony pulled Tim away from him.

"Looks like it's just you and me now, buddy." The boy gave him a shy smile. Tony used the handkerchief again to wipe the tears from his face. "What do you say we get out of here? I think I've had enough of fresh air and nature for quite a while."

Tony picked himself up off the ground then packed up the remains of McGee's clothing into his backpack. He hesitated for a few seconds, before taking his gun off his belt and, after ensuring the safety was on, packed it into the backpack as well. After what had just happened, he hated to go unarmed, but with having to carry the backpack and Tim, he needed to remove the gun. Tony suspected the men were long gone anyway. They didn't seem like the type to stick around.

Tony used a method he'd seen marines do on the bases the team had visited, putting the backpack on backwards so the bulk of the bag was in front of him. Then he had Tim climb on his back before standing up. Between the backpack, the kid on his back, and taking a few punches to the face, walking was awkward, but overall would be more manageable for the distance he had to travel. Now he just had to hike back the couple of miles or so he and McGee had hiked earlier in the day. It was surreal, retracing his steps without his partner at his side but now in miniature form, clinging to his back.

"You okay back there, little man?" Tony asked.

"Yeah." Tim seemed unnaturally quiet. Was he quiet because of everything that had just happened or was it normal for a little boy his age? Or was it just McGee? He was a bit of a quirky one. Tony wasn't familiar enough with children to know if his behavior was normal or not. When he got back to civilization his second call was going to be to Ducky so the doctor could check the boy out. His first call was definitely to Gibbs.

Tony really hoped Gibbs would know what they should do with a child version of McGee because right now, he had no idea. He wasn't normally very good with kids, though for some reason, Tim seemed to like him. Maybe he did remember something. Though, if Tim really had been "reset" then he shouldn't remember Tony at all. The thought that maybe the kid just liked him brought a smile to his face.

"Do you like movies Tim?" Tony asked curiously, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen between them.

"I d-don't know any m-movies," Tim answered softly. Tony was glad to hear the boy's stutter was calming down. Hopefully he was becoming more comfortable with him.

"Oh Timmy, we are going to have to fix that!" Tony began talking about various movies he thought Tim might like, though he had to keep reminding himself to keep his narrative rated G.

About an hour later, Tony finally emerged from the woods. He had never been so happy to see a parking lot in his life. "All right Tim, here we are." Tony set Tim on the ground as he dug his keys out. Once the car was unlocked, he tossed the bag in the back then looked around to ensure no one else was in the parking lot before he buckled the kid in to the back seat. The last thing he needed right now was a cop pulling him over for not having Tim in a booster seat.

"Okay Tim. Let's roll."

Tony headed back towards D.C., but stopped at the first super store he came to. As he carried Tim into the store, he hoped this didn't go badly. He was already getting a few looks, even though the t-shirt Tim was wearing covered his body completely. Tony just glared at anyone who dared to look at him funny and kept going.

He found the kids section and began looking for something that might fit Tim. He had no idea what size the kid wore. Tony set Tim down then proceeded to hold shirts up to him, trying to guestimate a size.

"Can I help you?" a woman, wearing the store's uniform, asked him. Thankfully she didn't give Tony any odd looks.

Tony gave her his most charming smile. "Yeah, we've just had the worst day. We're visiting D.C., doing the whole tourist thing. We were hiking today when my son, here, fell into the creek. I got a bit banged up fishing him out. Those rocks can be slippery. We returned to our hotel room, and wouldn't you know it, our luggage has been stolen! Can't have him going around in just my t-shirt now can I?" He was laying it on thick, but he didn't want the woman to ask too many questions.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry to hear you've had such a bad day. What size does he wear? I'm sure we can get him a few clothes until the police find your luggage."

"Well…usually his mother does the shopping, so I'm not really sure what size he wears. She's visiting her sister. I don't want to call and ruin her spa day with the girls."

"That's not a problem sir. I have a son I think might be about his age. Why don't I grab a few items and you can take him into the changing room and try them on."

"He's, ah, going to need underwear, socks and shoes too. He was soaking wet when I pulled him out."

"No problem. The changing rooms are right over there. I'll be over in a minute."

"You're a lifesaver! Thank you." When the woman turned to start picking out clothes, Tony let the smile drop and rolled his eyes. Could he get any sappier? He heard a giggle from the vicinity of his knee. Tim had been watching his performance.

"You're funny," the boy said.

"Hey, just remember who's buying you clothes, little man. I wouldn't laugh if I were you, unless you want to wear that t-shirt forever."

Tim's smile just grew bigger at Tony's words. Tony pretended to scowl at him, but secretly he was glad he could make Tim smile like that. He picked the boy up and took him over to the changing rooms. A short time later, the woman brought the clothes over for him. It wasn't long before Tim was dressed properly in the right sized clothes. The shirt and pants were size 4T. Tony had no idea if that meant he was about four or so or was just some random children sizing. He couldn't ask the woman since it would be odd if he didn't know his own "son's" age. The woman had been kind enough to scan the items into a device and print him a receipt so Tim could wear the clothing right away. He had a few extra outfits the woman had picked out as well.

"Just take this up front when you're ready to check out." She said. He thanked her again then wandered around a bit, Tim trailing along beside him clutching his hand, before heading for the section with booster seats. Explaining the clothes had been easy enough. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain not having the proper booster seat. Tony found a booster seat with a wide weight range, hoping Tim would fit into it.

Fortunately, the seat was a convertible kind that would last the kid for almost his whole childhood. It was a bit expensive, but it was worth it if it would last awhile, keep the kid safe, and prevent him from getting pulled over. He'd have to have Ducky measure Tim so he knew what to look for in case McGee was in miniature form for a while. It seemed a lot of children's items were based on weight and height. Tony was just thankful the kid was potty trained. Dealing with diapers would have been more than he could handle.

Tony bought the clothes and the booster seat, and then had the privilege of experiencing the frustration that many parents deal with trying to install the booster seat. It only took 20 minutes before Tony was reasonably sure it was installed properly. He'd have to have someone check it, but it'd work for now.

Tim had sat on the other side of the bench in the back seat, watching Tony manhandle the booster seat and even offering a word of advice every now and then. He sure was one quiet kid. Tony didn't mind. He never could stand children that would run around screaming all the time.

"It has been a long morning. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. What do you say we get something to eat?" Tim answered with a bright smile and nodded vigorously at Tony. "Hop on in then and let's go." Strapping Tim in was almost as complicated as putting the booster seat in had been, but he managed.

Fast food probably wasn't the best thing for the kid, but they had an hour to go before reaching D.C., and more importantly Gibbs' house, so he went for speed and convenience. The restaurant had one of those kid play areas in it. "You can go play a bit if you want. I'm sure you haven't been having much fun since…" He trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence. Since you were magically shrunk?

Tim looked at the few kids playing in the play center and then just looked up at Tony from beneath his hair and shook his head. Oh yeah, he was definitely a shy one. Tony didn't know McGee could become even shyer then when he'd first been assigned to the team. He'd stuttered and wouldn't speak up unless spoken to back then, but the child size version of McGee seemed to be even worse. Tony hoped Tim grew more comfortable with him during the time they spent together to overcome this shyness. When he'd asked Tony to go potty on the hike out, he had stammered bad and his face had flushed red, like asking to go to the bathroom had been a lot for the kid.

After lunch, Tony strapped Tim back into the car. He seemed content to let Tony take charge. The kid hadn't even asked where they were going yet. When Tim looked at Tony after he'd strapped him in, Tony was surprised to see trust in the bright green eyes. It shocked him when he realized Tim had given himself completely over to his care.

"All right buddy. We're going to go see a friend of mine. You ready to go?" Tim smiled and nodded.

As Tony pulled out of the shopping center, he activated his hands free device and made a phone call.

"Gibbs," came the gruff answer after only a few rings.

"Hey Boss, its Tony. Are you at home now?"

"Yeah."

"I, ah, need help with a little problem. Can I come over?" Tony winced at the unintentional pun.

"You know my door's always open, Tony."

"Okay. We'll be there in about an hour."

"We?"

"Yeah, I've got McGee with me." Tony stumbled over the name. He hadn't realized he'd taken to thinking of and referring to mini-McGee as Tim in his head until he said his name out loud. But he rarely called McGee by his first name and he didn't want to worry Gibbs. A moment of sadness shot through him as he realized Tim wouldn't understand if Tony started calling him by McNicknames. Tony realized for the first time that, in a way, he might have lost his best friend today. Unless the team could figure out how to fix Tim, he would be trapped in a boy's body, having to grow up all over again. The man he knew, the man he'd trained, the man he had come to think of as a brother was gone.

"You boys alright?" Gibbs asked with just a hint of worry in his voice. _Always the stoic leader, that Gibbs, _Tony thought shaking his head.

"Yeah, we're healthy; mostly uninjured. See you in a bit Boss." Tony hung up before the older man could ask him any more questions. He wasn't ready to try to explain the situation over the phone. Gibbs would have to see Tim to believe what had happened, and even then he wasn't so sure if anyone would believe him.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks again for all the reviews, favs and follows. Sorry this was so long since the last update. I had planned on updating weekly but I had a medical emergency a few weeks ago and am still recovering. Unfortunately I still have some issues I'm fighting so my updates won't be as often or as regular as I would have liked. But I did not forget about this story and I am eager to share it. I just need my mind and body to cooperate with me. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

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Tony pulled his car up to Gibbs' house, letting out a sigh of relief. He was glad to finally be here. He knew there was little Gibbs would be able to actually do as far as McGee's new miniature size was concerned, but it would be nice to share the burden of worry (but not fear. Nope, no fear here) that had settled on his shoulder's since the crazy incident in the woods had left him with a green eyed little boy instead of his adult partner.

"We're here buddy," Tony turned to check on Tim and found the little boy fast asleep in his booster seat. He couldn't help but smile at how cute the kid was. He got out of the car and pulled open the back door. Tony didn't know what to do. Should he wake the kid or try to take him out asleep? Thinking a moment, he opted to compromise. If he couldn't wake Tim, he'd just carry him into the house. When shaking his shoulder failed to wake Tim, Tony carefully unsnapped the thousand (or so it seemed) clasps strapping Tim into the seat. He tried to maneuver carefully since he had never removed a sleeping child from a car seat before.

"Ha!" he said in triumph when he'd successfully freed the boy from the seat and carefully pulled him out of the car. Tony adjusted Tim so he was lying on his shoulder. The boy snuggled into him a bit, then remained limp as Tony carried him into the house. He could hear Gibbs moving about in the kitchen and smelled fresh coffee.

"Hey Boss." Tony called quietly, though he knew the man had heard the door open.

Tony moved over to the couch and tried to gently lay the boy on it. Tim's eyes fluttered open, but once he was flat on the couch, they closed again and the boy slipped back into sleep. Tony stood back up and headed towards the kitchen. He found Gibbs sitting at his table, drinking a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper.

Tony poured himself a cup of coffee and joined his boss at the table. He didn't know how to start this particular conversation.

After a while, Gibbs spoke up. "I thought you were bringing McGee with you." he said without looking up.

"Yeah. He…he's in the living room." Gibbs looked at Tony then. He'd heard the hitch in the younger man's voice. Tony was finally letting himself have a minor freak out now that he was somewhere safe and with someone who could help him.

"You okay?" Tony just nodded in response. "McGee okay?" Tony nodded again. Gibbs was opening the door but Tony still couldn't say the words. How was he supposed to explain that McGee was now a little boy asleep on Gibbs' couch? "Okay." Tony knew Gibbs wouldn't pressure him until he was ready to talk.

After a little longer Tony began to talk. "McGee and I went for a hike this morning. He…he taught me some tracking stuff. He's actually a good teacher."

"Yeah, he is."

"We, uh, ran into some trouble out there…" Tony trailed off. This next part was the part he still didn't know how to explain.

"That explain the bruise on your jaw?"

"Yeah." Tony took another sip of his coffee. Okay, he could do this. He took a deep breath, ready to continue, but he was saved the trouble when a small voice spoke up from the living room.

"Tony?"

Tony wished he could have sat and enjoyed the look of surprise on Gibbs' face when he heard the child speak, but he jumped up quickly to go check on Tim. Apparently he hadn't slept too much longer once they'd arrived. Tony knew Gibbs was getting up and following him into the living room. Maybe this would make it easier, Gibbs seeing Tim while Tony tried to explain what happened.

The little boy was sitting up on the couch, rubbing his eyes. He smiled when he saw Tony.

"Hey buddy. Did you have a good nap?" Tony knelt in front of the couch, next to the boy.

"W-where are we?" Tim asked Tony quietly. His eyes widened when he noticed the older man lurking in the entranceway. Tony watched as he shrunk back into the couch, trying to hide. He sat on the couch next to the boy and put a hand on his shoulder.

"This is my friend, Gibbs. He's going to help us." Tony looked up at Gibbs. "Boss, this is Tim." He waited for Gibbs response to that little bomb he'd dropped.

Gibbs stared at the little boy sitting next to him. Tony saw his eyes widen when he noticed the boy's green eyes. He knew what his boss must be thinking. McGee was supposed to be in the living room. Tony had said he was. This little boy was the only person who had been in the living room when the two men had entered. And the eyes. The little boy was answering to the name Tim and had bright green eyes.

"Tim?" Gibbs asked, his eyes glued to the little boy.

"Yeah, Boss. Tim. Remember how I said we ran into some trouble in the woods? Well, uh, he kind of got, um, shrunk."

"You're saying that's McGee?" Gibbs said, a note of disbelief in his voice.

"Yeah Boss. If you'd seen the things I did, well, I can't say you'd believe it. Hell, I don't know if I believe and I was there."

"So something happened and McGee is now a little boy? No chance he was taken and this kid was left behind? Or you and McGee are trying to pull one over on me, in which case, I'll have to kill you both?"

"Sorry, Boss. I'm not joking. Wish I was... Ducky!" Tony suddenly remembered he'd wanted to call the doctor when they arrived at Gibbs house.

"What about Ducky?" Gibbs asked, confusion in his voice over Tony's sudden topic change.

"We need to call him. I want him to look over Tim. Make sure he's okay. And maybe he'd be able to identify McGee from markings or something. He could get a sample for a DNA test also. See who the kid really is."

Gibbs stared at him long and hard. Tony just set his jaw and stared back. He knew this was hard to believe, but he needed the older man's help. "Yeah, okay. I'll go call him." Tony watched as Gibbs seemed to have to work to make himself turn away from Tim. After a moment he could hear Gibbs on the phone in the kitchen.

Tony looked down at Tim. The boy had been watching the conversation with a thoughtful look on his face. "Don't worry Tim, I've got your back. No one's going to hurt you here. We all just want to help."

"What's wrong? Why do we need help? How am I shrunk?" Tony smiled when he didn't hear the stutter but had to think of what to say to the kid. How do you tell someone they are supposed to be thirty-one? Tony decided he should wait until they got confirmation on Tim's identity before he thought about what exactly to tell the boy.

"Remember the men from the woods?" Tony continued when Tim nodded, looking up at him with his wide green eyes. Damn the kid could be so cute! "The stuff they were doing and what they said was…scary. I just want to make sure nothing they did hurt you." That sounded plausible, he hoped.

"They hurt _you_ though." Tim looked at him, worry in his eyes. Tony was amazed that he could read Tim so well. Granted, he'd always been able to read his partner well. The man was not the best liar, and he rarely hid what he was thinking. Guess the same went for the miniature version of McGee, too.

"Barely touched me. I'm good." Tony gave Tim a big smile.

Gibbs returned to the living room and slowly approached the couch.

"Ducky coming?" Tony asked.

"Yeah."

"What'd you tell him?"

"Just that he had a patient to see."

"Okay. I still don't know how to explain what happened."

"Let's make sure you two are okay then we'll worry about who the boy is, and how he got here." Gibbs said. Tony guessed the man still didn't quite believe him but at least he was helping him. Gibbs turned to the boy. "So, your name is Tim. Did Tony tell you we have a friend named Tim?" The little boy nodded at the older man, though he was now pressing himself into Tony's side.

"Can you tell me who your parents are?"

"N-no. I d-don't r-remember." Tony put his arm around the boy as he stuttered through his answer.

"Any sisters or brothers?" Gibbs continued.

"N-no. I d-don't r-remember a-anyone b-before T-tony f-found m-me."

"And you don't remember how you got into the woods?"

The boy shook his head.

"That's okay. We'll help you figure out who your family is." Gibbs smiled, then reached out and ruffled Tim's hair. "You need anything Tim? Something to eat or drink?" The boy smiled at Gibbs. Tony could see the older man's eyes flinch at the smile. Tony smiled wide, knowing Gibbs was seeing the same sweet smile they were used to, just on a four year old boy. Tim looked at Tony, then back at Gibbs.

"Okay."

"Come on. I've got some milk and toast I think you'll like."

Gibbs led Tony and Tim into his kitchen. Tony helped Tim into a chair while Gibbs poured the boy a glass of milk and prepared some toast for him.

The two men drank coffee and Tim drank milk and ate toast while they waited for Ducky to arrive.

* * *

"Hello Jethro!" Ducky called out as he entered Gibbs house.

"In the kitchen, Ducky," Gibbs called out. Tony sat next to Tim who was happily coloring with a set of colored pencils Gibbs had found in a drawer. Tony didn't see Gibbs as the artsy type so he figured they were left over from one of the ex-wives.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of being invited to your home, Jethro?" Tony looked up as the ME entered. Tim's focus was still on the page before him, but the fact that the boy scooted closer to him, Tony could tell he knew the other man had entered the room. The kid was really shy, especially with new people. Tony hoped he would become more comfortable around his old team mates with time.

Tony watched as Ducky noticed the boy sitting next to him. Ducky looked between Gibbs and Tony but neither man spoke up. After a moment, Ducky broke the silence. "Well, are you going to introduce me to your young friend? I do hope you didn't call me because the poor boy is sick or injured."

Gibbs spoke up. "No, Duck. As far as we can tell he's fine, but if you can give him a once over to be sure, that'd be great." Tony noticed how Gibbs had skipped over the "introduction" part.

"Of course, Jethro. Why don't we go into a bedroom? I can take a quick look at the boy and see if there's anything wrong."

Tim's head finally came up with those words. He turned wide, scared eyes on Ducky. "C-can T-Tony c-come w-with me?" Tony's heart tightened. The little boy certainly had latched onto him.

"Of course my boy, if you'd like Anthony to join us, that would be fine. Jehtro?" Ducky stepped aside as the three stood and Gibbs led them to a spare bedroom.

"Now, can one of you two gentlemen tell me if there is anything in particular I should be looking for? I see you have a lovely set of new bruises, Anthony."

"I'm fine. Just a once over for the boy, though you should probably check his feet. He went running barefoot through the woods when I found him."

"Is that so young man?" Tim nodded shyly at Ducky's question. "Well then, let's have a look, shall we?" Ducky gave the boy a quick once over, listening to his heart and his breathing, and cleaning the scratches on his feet and chin.

"Well, other than a few scratches, you seem like a healthy young man."

"Hey Ducky, any idea how old he might be?" Tony asked. Ducky looked at Tony in surprise, then looked down at the boy.

"Do you know how old you are son?" Tim just shook his head no.

"He's got a bit of memory loss, Ducky. Gibbs and I are trying to identify him. We'd like you to get a DNA sample also."

"Of course. I would be glad to help. Shouldn't you be alerting the police though? Or child services? If he doesn't remember who he is then why is NCIS involved?"

"That's kind of a long story. But I can say it is our jurisdiction. And I'm not letting strangers take him away." That last part might have come out a bit sharper than Tony intended it too. But he wasn't letting his partner leave with strangers. He may be a small boy now, but Tony still had his six. He always would. Tim flashed him a huge smile. Ducky raised an eyebrow at the vehement statement by Tony, but didn't say anything.

"I see. Well then, considering his size I would estimate the boy to be between four and five. I can't make an exact estimation unless I get his height and weight measurements and talk more with the boy. If I can evaluate his knowledge level I can make a better estimate. Though of course that can always be skewed if the boy were to have a mental disorder or be a savant. Why I once knew a child who could read _Moby Dick_ by this young man's age. We had the most incredible conversation about –"

"Thanks Ducky!" Tony interrupted before the man could get lost on a tangent.

The three left the bedroom and returned to where Gibbs was waiting in the living room.

"You're young man is just fine, Jethro. A few minor scratches from running through the woods, but nothing to worry about. I have the DNA sample. I'll call Abigail and have her run it."

"No. Have another lab run it."

Ducky looked at Jethro confused. "But why? We have a perfectly serviceable laboratory and forensic scientist who can run this immediately. Why does it need to go elsewhere?"

Gibbs paused another moment, giving Tony another look. He spoke slowly. "If what Tony says is true, the results might raise too many questions if done by our lab. Just get it done. How long will it take?"

"Sounds like you might have an idea of who the young man might be. Well, since it won't be our lab running the test it will be about 72 hours if I put a rush on it."

"That long? Is there any other way to identify him sooner?" Gibbs asked.

"What about fingerprints?" Tony asked. He wanted to smack himself in the head. Why hadn't he thought of that earlier? Guess he wasn't used to the idea of fingerprinting children.

"Because," Gibbs began, then stopped, his eyes going wide.

"Why Jethro?" Ducky asked. Tony wondered what his boss was thinking.

"Someone his age most likely won't have any prints on record. Unless his parents have voluntarily had him fingerprinted in case anything were to happen to him. And even then, the fingerprint card is held by the parents until it's needed. So, unless his parents have a fingerprint card and he's been reported missing since you found him, running his prints most likely won't result in any match."

Tony and Gibbs exchanged a glance. Tony understood then what Gibbs had been thinking. Tim was in IAFIS. All federal agents were. They could run into the office right now and get confirmation that this was indeed Timothy McGee. Tony thought he began to see belief, and possibly a touch of fear registering on Gibb's face. Tony nodded to Gibbs then turned to Tim.

"Want to go for a ride? You can see where I work. I have a feeling you'll like it. Lots of computers."

"Okay. What's a com- computer?" Tim asked.

Tony laughed. "Oh boy, this is going to be fun!" Those words were quickly followed by "Thanks Boss!" after Gibbs smacked him on the back of the head. Tim giggled at the two men's antics, bringing a smile to both their faces.

"Jethro, what is going on!" Ducky demanded.

"Why don't you come with us, Ducky. I have a feeling we'll need your help later." He turned to Tony and said, "If what you're saying is true, you're going to have to tell the rest of the team soon." Gibbs sighed and rubbed his head. "Might as well drop the DNA sample off with Abby. Probably won't even need it by then."

"Let's wait until we get a confirmation first. I don't want to talk about crazy stuff unless I need to."

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, sure. Tony, you and the boy ride with me. Ducky, we'll meet you there."

"Uh, Gibbs. We need to take my car."

"And why is that, DiNozzo?"

"It's just, I got a car seat. For the kid. I didn't want to get pulled over. And I didn't know how long he would be like this."

Gibbs looked at Tony then a grin broke out on his face as he shook his head. "Okay. We'll take your car."

* * *

Tony stood up straight from buckling Tim into his booster seat and closed the door to find Gibbs watching him with his mouth quirked in half a smile. "What?" he asked.

Gibbs didn't answer, just got in the passenger's seat. Tony climbed into the driver's seat. He turned to check on Tim. "Ready to roll buddy?" Tim nodded enthusiastically.

"Let's roll!" the little boy said.

"That's my little man." Tony smiled and faced forward again.

The half-smile on Gibbs face turned into a full smile.

The ride to NCIS was uneventful. Tony kept up a running dialog with Tim, doing most of the talking. This time he told Tim funny stories about when he was a small boy. Tim would laugh or ask a question or two, but for the most part maintained his quiet demeanor. Gibbs didn't say much, he just rode along in silence, smiling every now and then at something Tony or Tim said.

They arrived at headquarters and quickly made their way to the lab. The group ran into Abby leaving the lab.

"Abbs," Gibbs said in greeting.

"Gibbs, Tony, Ducky! What are you doing here? I thought your team wasn't on call this weekend," Abby said. Tim had ducked behind Tony when they bumped into the Goth and was clutching at his leg.

"You're right Abby. We just came in to run some prints," Tony answered.

"You were going to touch my equipment without me! Gibbs, how could you let them! You know my babies need to be handled very carefully," Abby exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air dramatically.

"We just need to run some prints Abby," Gibbs told the Goth.

"Fine. But since I'm here, I'm doing it. Where are the prints at?"

"Right here," Tony answered as he disentangled Tim from his leg and picked the boy up. Tim clutched his neck tightly and buried his face in Tony's neck. Tony suspected the growing group of people was getting to the boy.

"Come on buddy. Remember, we all just want to help you. Can you look at me?" Tony rubbed Tim's back as he tried to get the small boy to loosen his hold on him. After a bit, Tim finally picked his head up and looked around the room.

"Gibbs, why is Tony holding a little boy?" Abby asked incredulously.

"Tony found him in the woods. We need to run his prints to," Gibbs paused again and shot another look at Tony, "confirm his identity."

"I knew you suspected who he was. Aren't you going to tell us who the boy is Jethro?" Ducky asked.

"Run the prints and you'll see."

"What's the big secret?" Abby asked.

"Abby, just run his prints."

"Okay, but you know he's too young to be in the database right."

"Yeah, I know." Gibbs answered. Abby shrugged and grabbed the scanner off her desk and approached the boy in Tony's arms.

Tony helped Tim hold his index finger on the pad. Abby turned and inserted the scanner into her computer to upload the image so she could run the print.

"Okay. Let's see who this mystery boy is." The Goth started the search. Fingerprints flashed across the screen as the search commenced.

Abby turned back to the group in her lab. "Guess you all have had an eventful day. You going to fill me in on what's going on?"

"Once we get the results. We should call Ziva. Might as well have the whole team here, get it over with all at once." Tony said.

Gibbs didn't respond, just stepped out of the room, pulling his cellphone out of his pocket.

Abby stepped closer to Tony and the boy in his arms. "What's your name handsome?"

"Tim," he replied shyly.

"Tim? That's a good name. We have a friend named Tim. Don't we Tony?"

"I know," Tim said. "Do I g-get to m-met him?" Tony tried not to show any emotion at the question.

"Sure! I bet you'd like him. He's got a dog. Do you like dog's Timmy?" Tim nodded.

Gibbs stepped back into the room just as the computer beeped.

"Wow, there's a match! Guess you were right Gibbs, as always. So Timmy my boy, who are you?" Abby clicked on the file the database had pulled revealing the name and picture that matched the fingerprint.

Tony knew what the results would say. As unbelievable as it was there really was no other explanation. He looked over at Gibbs and watched as the man registered the name and picture. The older man closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. The smirk on Tony's face slipped off as Gibbs met his eyes. His boss now had worry and concern on his face. Okay, so he'd proven this was McGee. Now what?

"Nonononono! This is why I need to be here! My babies are broken! Who touched the scanner last! It was McGee wasn't it. That's why the search is wrong. When I get my hands on him…!" Abby turned and looked at the group behind her, a scowl on her face.

"Is that my daddy?" Tim asked Tony, looking at the picture on the screen.

"No Tim, it's not. It's you." Tony could see the surprise on Gibbs' face, but Tony knew he couldn't hide the truth from Tim. They would be talking about what happened soon and Tim was sure to overhear and understand. He didn't want the boy to feel like they were lying to him. He remembered hating when adults lied to him when he was young.

Tim studied the picture for a second then turned to Tony. "How did I get so big?" he asked. Tony noticed Tim's stutter seemed to disappear when he was talking with Tony, but not the others.

Tony smiled. "You didn't get big Buddy. You got small."

"Oh." Tim seemed to accept that answer without any question.

Abby and Ducky had been following the conversation, looks of incomprehension on both their faces. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Gibbs run a hand down his face. Gibbs may be beginning to believe, but he still had to convince the others.

"Tony, what you're saying is impossible. That can't be McGee. The scanner messed up the results. Or IAFIS is broken." Tony knew Abby's world ran on logic and she was right. It was impossible. But it was true. He didn't try to argue. Until he told the whole story, they wouldn't believe him. And he doubted if they would even then.

"We have a DNA sample we can run as well. Might as well get it started, though I can tell you now, the results will be the same," Tony said instead.

"Anthony is this true? And somehow you knew as well Jethro? How can this be possible?" Ducky asked.

Gibbs didn't answer Ducky's question. "Let's move up to the conference room. It's going to be a long night." He turned and left without waiting for the others. Tony exchanged a look with Abby and just shrugged the shoulder that wasn't connected to the arm holding Tim.

"You heard the man. Move out!" This earned Tony a giggle from Tim. Abby stayed behind to start the DNA scan.

Once settled in the conference room, Ducky approached Tim. "Now that I know who you are young man, might I take another look at you?" Tim nodded shyly at the older man.

"Anything we should be worried about Ducky?" Gibbs asked.

"Well, Timothy has a number of allergies that I shall have to inform whoever takes care of him about. And he has asthma, though I don't think it was much of a problem when he was an adult. But children are usually affected more by asthma. Other than that he seems perfectly healthy." Ducky focused the rest of his discourse on Tim. "It is remarkable though. I can see the similarities now, especially in your eyes. They are quite striking aren't they? 'The eyes don't lie,' they say. And your facial structure is definitely developed enough that hints of the man you will become are showing." Tim smiled at the ME.

"Ducky, you said he's probably four or five. Did he understand half of what you just said?" Tony asked.

"Of course he did! You're quite the clever boy, aren't you lad?" Ducky asked Tim. Tim's smile grew and he nodded. Ducky continued, turning to Tony. "He probably didn't understand every word, but I'm sure he understood the overall gist of the conversation. While I don't know his exact upbringing, based on Timothy's, that is, adult Timothy; based on his education level, I imagine he was a rather bright child."

"So he's a genius, even as a tiny tot?" Tony asked.

"I wouldn't say he's a savant or the like, but I imagine he will be a bit ahead of the average child, able to understand a bit more adult concepts than his peers."

"So watch what I say around him? Got it." Tony winked at Tim who scowled back at him.

Abby entered the conference room then. "DNA test is running. It'll be about 24 hours." She looked at Tim as he sat in one of the chairs. "Hi Timmy. Do you remember me?"

"He doesn't remember anything Abby. One of the reasons why we had to verify his identity." Tony answered for Tim.

"Why not?" she asked him.

"Part of the story. Ziva should be here soon."

It wasn't long before Ziva entered the conference room. She greeted the group, pausing when her eyes fell on Tim. "And who is this?"

"Go on, tell her who you are." Tony encouraged the boy.

"Tim." He said quietly

"It's nice to meet you Tim." She shifted here gaze to Gibbs. "Is this why we were called in? Is he a witness?"

Gibbs simply said, "Tony will explain."

And he did.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry I disappear for awhile. As I said I've had some medical issues which caused a bit of depression. I'm trying to move forward but still struggling a bit. I do intend to finish this story, I just can't promise any posting schedule. This was originally beta'd but I went back and made some changes afterwards so any errors are mine. Enjoy.

* * *

Tony swore he could hear a pin drop the moment he stopped talking, it was so quiet. The group was staring, wide eyed and opened mouth, at Tim who seemed to be trying to melt into the chair he was sitting in.

It was Ziva who broke the silence first. She shook her head and then spoke. "Witches? Spells? Magic? Tony, I understand you have had a trying day, but these things simply do not exist and cannot happen."

"I know it sounds crazy. Believe me, I saw it happen, kind of, and I still can't believe it, but how else do you explain it? You saw the fingerprint results. I guarantee the DNA test will be the same. This is Timothy McGee. Just in miniature form."

"But it is impossible! It can not happen. " Ziva slammed her hand on the desk to emphasize her point. Tim jumped in surprise and leaned closer to Tony. Ziva threw the boy an apologetic look but continued, "This is real life, not one of your movies. There must be another explanation." Ziva was a smart woman but Tony knew why this was hard for her to believe. Her world was based on logic and fact, not science fiction.

"Actually, Ziva, there are witches in the world. Though today they go by the term Wiccan and they tend to be more earth lovers rather than people killers." Abby said with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Wait, you have friends that are witches? How did we not know this, Boss?" Tony turned to Gibbs who just gave him a look. "More importantly," Tony continued, "can you contact them? Maybe they can help us with turning McGee back into an adult."

Abby looked apologetic as she said, "Sorry Tony, she's on a retreat right now with her coven. Monday is the summer solstice. She should be back by Wednesday though. I can contact her then."

"Believe it or not I understand the Wiccan religion Abigail, but I did not believe that any of their practices were anything more than just an expression of their faith. I'm still having trouble believing how this came to be, though the evidence presented is hard to refute." Ziva said.

Abby leaned over and patted Ziva's shoulder. "I know Ziva. Sometimes it's easier to ignore logic and just go with it."

Ziva looked around the table. "And you all believe this? Even you Ducky? You are a man of science." she asked incredulously.

"I am also a man who knows when to believe what I see. I have seen the fingerprint evidence. And the boy. Once you know what you are looking for, the resemblance is quite striking. As hard as it is to imagine, I think I do believe, Ziva." Ducky answered quietly.

"Gibbs?" Ziva asked.

"Look at him Ziva. Look at his eyes." Gibbs said in answer.

"Forensics doesn't lie, Ziva. I know it's hard to believe, but come on, look at him!" Abby exclaimed.

Ziva turned to the boy and studied him. "I do see some resemblance to McGee" Ziva said hesitantly. The boy smiled shyly back at her. She sighed and addressed the rest of the table. "I still find this very hard to believe, but for now, I suppose I must." Everyone at the table seemed to relax.

"Got any other witchy friends you're not telling us about?" Tony asked Abby.

"None of my friends are 'witchy,' Tony, they just have different beliefs than you or I. And yes, I might know some more people in the occult world."

"Great. Maybe we can have McGee turned back by tonight!" Tony exclaimed excitedly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Tony, hold your horses. Just because I know some people who think they have an in with the Dark Prince doesn't mean they actually know anything about what happened to Tim." Abby said logically.

"Wow, did you just say the Dark Prince? Is there something you're not telling us Abby?" Tony asked, a look bordering on fear flashing across his face.

"Tony, just because my friends believe they worship the devil doesn't mean I do. I'm catholic, remember. But I believe in freedom of worship and if drinking the blood of a goat and chanting in Latin makes someone happy, then more power to them."

"They don't actually drink goat blood do they? I mean, come on, that's just gross," Tony replied with a shudder.

"What about the two men?" Ducky interrupted. "Can we try to find them? You mentioned one of them said they would look into what happened. Maybe they can give us more answers."

"I don't think they want to be found. Besides, all we have to go on is a description." After a look from Gibbs, Tony continued, "I'll go start talking to a sketch artist."

"In a minute DiNozzo. Anyone got anything else?" Gibbs looked around the room.

"Who will be taking care of Timothy until we can find more answers?" Ducky asked curiously, gesturing to the boy.

"Gibbs of course," Abby answered.

"He's my partner. I'll watch him," Tony shot back and Ziva barked a laugh. "What? You don't think I can watch a little boy?"

"Tony, we all know your history with children. You don't get along with them very well."

"Yeah, but this is McGee. My partner, my Probie. Besides, I think he likes me." Tony smiled down at Tim, getting a smile in return.

"No DiNozzo, he's a four year old boy," Gibbs said gently, obviously trying to appeal to Tony's logical side.

Tony was abashed. He knew Gibbs was right. In a way, it really wasn't his partner sitting next to him, but in the short time the two had been together, he'd grown rather attached to the kid. Of course, if Gibbs wanted to watch the boy, he knew Tim would be in the best care.

"Right Boss. I know that." Ziva smirked at him. He glared back at her.

"And you've been doing good with him so far," Gibbs continued, taking Tony by surprise. "He'll stay with you, if it's okay with Tim."

"I w-want to s-stay with Tony," Tim answered quietly. Tony smiled, glad the boy felt the same way he did. He saw Gibbs and Ducky smile as well. Abby looked surprised and Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Tony, take Tim and the two of you get sketches of the men you encountered. Ziva, research. Look for any other remotely strange reports that might lead us to the identity of those men. Ducky, go with Tony. Tell him everything he'll need to know about caring for Tim."

"I'm going to go check on Jethro. He's probably been in McGee's apartment all day. Then I'll see if any of my friends are available, but honestly with the summer solstice right around the corner, I don't know if I'll get a hold of anyone." Abby stated, a frown gracing her face.

"Thanks Abs. Let me know when the DNA test is done. Another confirmation won't hurt."

A chorus of "On it Boss" and "Yes Gibbs" echoed throughout the room.

Tony stood, Tim quickly following, grasping his hand. As he passed Gibbs to leave the conference room, the older man put a hand on his shoulder.

"You need any help with Tim you call me. Anytime."

"Thanks Boss."

Tony had to call the duty sketch artist to come in and draw for him. A few hours later and there were two decent pictures of the men to be sent out for a BOLO. Tim had been surprisingly helpful when giving descriptions of the men. He was very observant. He'd noticed details like the necklace the shorter man had worn and the eye color of both men.

By the time they were done with the sketch artist and had talked with Ducky, it was early evening. Gibbs and Ziva were at their desks in the bullpen, when Tony entered with Tim. Ziva spoke without looking up from her computer. "I sent out a BOLO with the sketches from the artist. I got a hit right away. The FBI already had sketches in the database of the two men. They've been in the system since 2005. Sam and Dean Winchester. Brothers. Father and mother are deceased. They move around the country, never staying in one place very long. By the time officials become aware of their presence, the men have moved on. Wanted list includes: credit card fraud; grave desecration, assault and battery, breaking and entering, robbery, and murder. Dean Winchester was declared dead in 2005 but was found to be still living in 2006. The men have been captured a few times but each time managed to escape, usually in a violent manner. They have essentially fallen off the radar since 2007 with no official sightings though many crimes have been attributed to them based on MO. Doesn't look good for us, Gibbs."

"Too bad Dean didn't stay dead," Tony muttered darkly.

"What?"

"Nothing Boss."

"You hungry Tim?" Gibbs asked the boy, opting to ignore Tony's words.

"Y-yes." The boy answered. Gibbs gave Tony a glare and guilt flared through DiNozzo's gut. It had been a few hours, since they had left Gibbs house where Tim had last eaten. Tony had gone longer without food but didn't even think that Tim might be hungry. He began to worry that maybe he might have gotten in over his head with taking care of Tim.

"On it Boss." Tony gave Gibbs a lopsided, apologetic grin. Abby entered the bullpen then.

"I tried calling a few of my friends. All of them are out for the weekend. I'll try again on Monday." She said.

Gibbs nodded. "Everyone go home. We've done enough today,"

"Wait! What about McGee?" Abby said.

"What about McGee, Abbs?" Gibbs asked.

"We all know this is Timmy but what about Monday when he's supposed to report to work? What do we do then?"

"Everyone meet at my house tomorrow, 1000. We'll devise a plan then. For now, go home. Tony, don't forget." Gibbs gave Tony a knowing look. Tony suspected the team leader was only just barely comfortable with letting him take care of Tim. He suspected the older man would be expecting a few phone calls throughout the night. Tony made it a personal goal not to have to call Gibbs.

Tony turned toward Tim and clapped the boy on the shoulder. "All right little man, let's get some grub. What are you in the mood for? Italian? Chinese? Oh, I know! There's this nice little Thai place downtown –"

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs shouted.

"Just kidding Boss. I will go home and make this young man a nice wholesome meal." Or he'd stop at the deli on the way home and get some baked chicken and pasta. And broccoli. Kids were supposed to eat their vegetables right? Tony figured that was something a four or five year old could eat. Yeah, he was definitely going to have to sit down with Gibbs tomorrow and go over some of this stuff. Who knew taking care of a kid involved so much work?

"If you would like, I can come and cook for you. Just for tonight though. Don't get any ideas." Ziva had approached and was now pointing her finger at Tony as she delivered this message.

"Really? You'd cook for me." Tony gave her his most charming smile.

She chuckled. "Not for you, Tony. For Tim. I don't know if he would survive if you tried to cook for him."

"Hey. I can cook!" Tony exclaimed. Tim was laughing at the exchange between the two.

"What part of go home aren't you people understanding?" Gibbs questioned in frustration.

"On it Boss!"

"I will be over shortly." Ziva informed Tony. She gave Tim a wide smile then turned and left.

"She's not as nice as she seem." Tony told Tim. The boy just smiled at him. Damn, he hoped his team didn't turn Tim on him!

* * *

"Welcome to my home Buddy," Tony said as he led Tim through the door of his apartment. The boy looked around the room with curiosity. It was a standard two bedroom apartment. The living room opened to an eat-in kitchen. The two bedrooms were off to one side with a bathroom between the two. It was a small apartment but Tony thought it would be big enough for the two of them.

"Where will I sleep?" Tim asked Tony.

"I have a guest bed in here. Like it?" Tony asked.

"It's okay." Tim answered.

"Okay? Look there's a bed. And a window." Tony looked at the almost empty room. The bed was the only piece of furniture, sitting in the middle of the room, against the opposite wall. "Looks like I forgot to decorate this room. I don't get a lot of visitors that sleep in here. I mean, I have visitors, but they usually -." Tony stopped talking before he said too much to the boy. Tim was looking at him with a confused expression. How had that conversation got so off topic?

"Maybe we can go get some stuff to decorate tomorrow. How does that sound?"

"Okay!"

A little while later Ziva arrived with a bag of groceries. She cooked a simple baked chicken with a side of asparagus for Tony and Tim. The little boy ate a surprising amount, even some of the asparagus.

Tony cleared the table, surprised when Ziva stood up and helped clean the dishes they had used.

"Are you a domestic goddess in disguise, Ziva?" Tony asked her.

"No Tony. I simply know how to clean up a mess I make. Unlike some people I know," she said giving him a pointed look, before directing her gaze over her shoulder at Tim. "Why don't you come here and help dry the dishes?"

Tim readily agreed and Tony drug a chair over next to Ziva for the boy to stand on and had given him an old towel from one of his drawers

"T-Thank you for d-dinner, Ziva," Tim said as he stood next to her, drying the dishes she handed to him as Tony stood on the other side of Tim, helping the boy with the dishes so he didn't drop any. He smiled, glad to see that Tim was opening up to his teammates.

"You are very welcome, Tim. When we are done, I brought a special surprise. It's over on the counter." Ziva indicated the bag on the counter next to the fridge with a nod of her head.

"Dessert!" Tony said, taking a step towards the bag.

"Ah, ah, ah" Ziva retorted as she reached behind Tim and smacked Tony.

"Ow!" He cried out.

"Not until we are done." When Tony sneaked a hand towards the bag again, Ziva said. "Do not make me get a paperclip, Tony." That made him freeze and shoot a glare at her. She just chuckled. Tim was shifting his head back and forth between the two, trying to follow the conversation.

"What's a paperclip and why are you afraid of them Tony?" the boy asked him. Ziva laughed aloud at the question.

"It's a little piece of metal that holds paper together. And I'm only afraid of them when they are held by crazy ninjas."

"What's a ninja?" the boy asked.

"Someone you don't want to mess with Tim." Tony answered.

"Are you a ninja, Ziva?"

"No Tim. Just very good at what I do."

"Okay." Tim finished drying the plate he had in front of him. He carefully shifted it over to Tony. Once Tony put the dish away, Tim dropped his towel on the counter and yelled "Dessert!" Both Tony and Ziva laughed.

"Okay. We can have dessert now." Ziva said. She dried her hands on Tim's towel, tossed it back on the counter, and headed towards the bag.

Ziva pulled out a package of rolled pastries filled with jam. Tony grabbed three small plates and Ziva placed a pastry on each one before handing the plates over to Tim and Tony. Tony took a bite of one and was amazed at how rich the dessert was.

"Wow. What is this? It's amazing." Tony asked.

"It's Rugelach. A traditional Jewish desert. These are store bought. They are okay. Homemade is much better. Do you like them?" she asked the boy. Tim just nodded, his mouth full of the pastry; jam smeared all over his cheeks and mouth.

"I will make some for you another time, Tim."

Tony watched in amusement as Tim crammed the last of the pastry he had into his mouth, then rushed over to hug Ziva's leg. Tony saw the surprised expression on Ziva's face before it was quickly replaced by a soft smile. She knelt down and gave Tim a proper hug. "I have to go now Tim. I will see you tomorrow." She told the boy before giving him a squeeze and standing back up. Ziva waived goodbye to Tony before leaving the apartment.

"Thanks Ziva!" Tony called after her. She had a tendency to leave abruptly when her business was done.

"Well buddy, let's get you cleaned up then ready for bed." Tony decided he didn't want to attempt a bath yet. He'd save that for tomorrow after he was able to get a few more supplies for the boy. And maybe after he spoke with Gibbs. Instead, Tony led Tim into the bathroom and stripped him down to his brand new underwear. He then carefully gave the boy a sponge bath. Tony found out Tim was incredibly ticklish when he brushed the washcloth over the boy's stomach and on his sides. Tim wrenched his body away from the washcloth, a fit of giggles erupting from the boy.

"Oh no you don't. Get back here!" Tony exclaimed, then proceeded to chase Tim around the bathroom until the boy backed himself up against the tub. Tony completed his ministrations, made a bit harder with Tim's constant twisting and turning, trying to escape from the washcloth; by the end, both man and boy were laughing.

Eventually, Tony was able to finish and Tim was relatively clean. Tony opened one of the spare toothbrushes he kept in case he had a "guest" over for Tim to use. The toothbrush was a bit big for Tim's small mouth but Tony figured it was better than not brushing the kid's teeth at all. He was pretty sure they made kids' toothbrushes. He'd never had reason to pay attention before but he thought he remembered the brightly colored and smaller brushes next to the adult ones.

The only clothes Tony had for the boy were the ones the lady at the store had picked out, none of which made for decent sleepwear. So Tony sacrificed one of his less liked t-shirts for Tim to use as a nightgown. The shirt fit a little better than McGee's oversized shirt had, but the boy still swam in it. Nightgown – just one more thing Tony added to the growing list in his head of things to get for the boy.

Tony tucked Tim into the spare bed, ruffling the boy's hair before he left, closing the bedroom door halfway. All things considered, the day had actually gone well. As Tony got ready for bed, he smiled, proud that he'd managed to take care of the boy without any major incidences. And that he hadn't needed to call Gibbs. It had actually been a surprisingly easy day.

The smile was barely on his face for a millisecond when it slipped off and turned to a frown. He recalled how people always spoke of how hard it was raising children. Had Tony gotten off easy with a calm and quiet Timothy McGee or was this the proverbial calm before the storm?


End file.
